


Echo

by YumeArashi



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Child Abandonment, Child Abuse, Duke gets all the hugs, Duke needs all the hugs, Gen, Second-Hand Embarrassment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-22 03:09:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10688556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumeArashi/pseuds/YumeArashi
Summary: When a Trouble de-ages Duke to a young child, Audrey and Nathan learn more about his past than they ever wanted to know





	Echo

**Author's Note:**

> ***please heed the warnings in the tags*** In this fic Duke was badly abused as a child and even though he is not currently being abused in the course of the story and he does get plenty of healing love and care, this fic goes to some pretty dark places. Take care of yourself <3

“Really think Duke got hit with this one?” Nathan asked as they knocked on the main hatch of the Rouge and waited.

“He’s not answering my calls or my texts, and his car’s here.  He wouldn’t ignore me, not when we need his help.  Not anymore.”

“How young do you think he’d be?”

“God only knows,” Audrey said worriedly, knocking again more loudly.  “I haven’t been able to figure out any kind of link between a person’s current age and how far back the Trouble takes them.  We’ve had everything from infants to young adults.  Well, young _ er _ .”

“Least if he’s a baby he’ll be cute,” Nathan tried to joke, but even in his usual deadpan it fell flat.

“Yeah, you’re taking care of him if he is,” Audrey fished out the key Duke had given her and let them in. 

Breakfast was laid out on the table, barely touched.  “He hates to waste food,” Nathan frowned.  “If something came up, he’d shove his plate in the fridge before heading out.  Not like him.”

Audrey looked over, concerned.  “You think this might be foul play instead of a Trouble?”

Nathan considered that.  “Door was locked, though.  Someone who took him by force wouldn’t bother to lock up.”

Audrey looked relieved.  “Good point.  So we’re thi-” she stopped as Nathan held up a hand for quiet.

Nathan looked around intently, then closed his eyes to focus on listening.  Audrey didn’t hear anything, but she knew how sharp Nathan’s senses were, and waited.

Nathan led them through the living quarters, stopping often to listen.  His search led to the bathroom, where he stood frowning down at a disturbingly small cabinet.  He knelt down beside it and knocked lightly.  “Duke?” he asked softly.  “You in there, buddy?”

Audrey marveled that Nathan’s voice could ever speak Duke’s name so gently.  But then came a tiny whimper in reply, and her focus immediately redirected.  “Sweetheart, it’s okay, you can come out,” she coaxed, crouching down by the cabinet.  Many of the younger victims of the Trouble had been frightened as well as confused, and she’d gotten slightly better at handling children over the last few days.  Not that this was saying much.

The cabinet door didn’t budge, and Nathan sat on the edge of the tub.  “It’s gonna be okay, Duke,” he addressed the cabinet.  “I know right now you’re scared, and maybe it feels safer in there and you don’t want to come out.  Can’t say I blame you for that.  But nothing bad’s gonna happen, I promise.”

Audrey bit her lip.  If it were anywhere else they could maybe wait for Duke to feel safe enough to emerge, but there could be cleaning chemicals under the sink, or medicine - even beauty products could be toxic.  “Duke, honey, we just want to make sure you’re okay.  Please come out?”

At her request the cabinet door creaked open, and Duke crawled reluctantly out.  Audrey was no good at guessing the ages of children, all she could tell was that he was no longer a toddler, but only just.  He had a mop of unruly black curls and a round baby face that only hinted at the handsome man he’d grow into, and his big dark eyes were wide with fear.

“There’s my buddy,” Nathan smiled easily and stood.  The motion made Duke cringe away, backing into the corner.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Audrey reassured him, remaining crouched down herself.  “Nathan’s a good guy, I know he’s super-tall and that’s probably scary, but he’s really a very nice guy.” 

Nathan promptly knelt down, putting himself closer to eye level for the frightened child.  “That better?  I’m sorry I scared you, buddy.”

Little Duke looked confused at this, and upset.  He bit his lip, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“Oh sweetie, don’t cry,” Audrey soothed.  “We’ll fix this, I promise.  Why don’t we all go out to the living room where it’s nice and comfy?”

Duke sniffled back his tears and nodded, tagging along at her heels like a despondent shadow.  Nathan followed, careful to leave plenty of space so as not to loom alarmingly over the small child.

“Are you hungry, big guy?” he asked as they emerge into the stateroom.  “I could make pancakes for breakfast.”

Duke shook his head, not even looking tempted by the prospect of pancakes.

Audrey looked worried.  “Duke, are you hurting anywhere?  Do you feel sick at all?”

Duke shook his head quickly.

“Probably just worn out.  Been a stressful morning,” Nathan guessed.  “Why don’t you come sit on the couch here and get comfortable.  Maybe have a nap if you like.”

Duke curled up in the corner of the couch and Nathan pulled a warm quilt from the back of the couch to cover him, careful not to touch the scared child.  “There you go, buddy.  You just relax and rest while I talk with Audrey here, okay?”

Duke nodded, and Nathan retreated to sit at the kitchen table, feeling those frightened eyes on his back the whole time. 

“Was he like this when you knew him?” Audrey asked worriedly.

“No.  But he’s younger now – maybe three or four.  I didn’t meet him till we started kindergarten at 5.  Besides, this is hardly normal circumstances.”

Audrey nodded.  “His parents might not have been winning any awards, but he must still miss them and wish they were here.  What are we going to do with him?  He doesn’t have any family who’d look after him, and we’re his only friends.  Or at least the only ones I’d trust with him.”

“Fair.  Take him with?” 

“We can try taking him to the station, I guess.  God, I feel so lost,” Audrey rubbed her forehead.

“I know.  But we’ll be okay.  He’s no trouble, at least.  Never thought I’d see the day when Duke Crocker was  _ too _ quiet.”

“He hasn’t said a single word,” Audrey agreed.  “Some of the other really little kids were upset and scared too, but they calmed down quickly enough.” 

Nathan squeezed her shoulder.  “We’ll help him.”

**

Duke hadn’t fallen asleep, and he obediently followed them out to Nathan’s truck.  Looking back at the Rouge, his eyes widened admiringly. 

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?” Nathan smiled.  “A home and freedom all at once.  You’ll have one like her someday.”

Duke perked up a little, something almost approaching a smile on his anxious little face.  He even allowed Nathan to gently pat his shoulder. 

Nathan felt good about the progress – until they pulled up in front of the police station and Duke began to whimper.  When they got out and tried to coax him inside he curled up in a tiny ball, shaking. 

“It’s okay, Duke, it’s okay, we don’t have to go in,” Audrey reassured him quickly.  “We can leave, go anywhere you want.  Go for ice cream or down to the beach, you name it.”

“You want to go back to the ship?  Back home?” Nathan asked.

The barest hint of a nod had them climbing back into the truck and pulling away. Duke relaxed a little as they drove off, but glanced between the two of them worriedly.

“It’s all right, Duke,” Audrey reassured him, carefully reaching to stroke his hair.  He flinched, but didn’t pull away.  He seemed bewildered by her actions.

“We’re not mad,” Nathan agreed.

Duke seemed even more baffled, but distinctly relieved.  Back at the Rouge he curled back up on the couch with a quiet little sigh of relief.

“I called Dwight, he’ll bring us the files.  We’ll have to work here.”

“We should put on a movie for Duke or something,” Nathan glanced worriedly at the couch.

“Maybe some quiet music instead.  He should rest,” Audrey suggested.

“If he can.  He’s wound tighter than a clock spring,” Nathan fretted.

“I remember seeing kids like this when I was in the system.  I don’t know how to help, though.”

Nathan glanced at the forlorn little ball on the couch.  “Knew it was bad for him growing up.  Don’t know how bad though.”

“Got a feeling we’re about to find out more about that than we’d like,” Audrey said grimly.

**

Dwight brought not only the files they needed, but a sizeable pack that he handed to Nathan.

“What’s that?” Audrey asked curiously.

“Kid care emergency kit.  Toys and games, kids’ movies and books, few sets of clothes in his size.  Plus some snacks and juice-boxes and kid-friendly food like chicken nuggets, since I’d bet my last buck Crocker never lets anything like that near his kitchen.”

“Not wrong there,” Nathan said, impressed.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Audrey breathed a sigh of relief.

Dwight looked amused.  “I’ve had plenty of chances this week to see exactly how much experience with kids you two don’t have.  Figured someone ought to step in.”

“I’d be mad about that if it weren’t so true,” Audrey admitted ruefully.

“How’s he doing?” Dwight stayed in the doorway, not wanting to frighten the Trouble’s latest victim.

“Not well.  Hasn’t said a word, still scared of his own shadow,” Nathan said unhappily.

“And he panicked when you tried to bring him to the station?”

Audrey nodded.  “It was heartbreaking, he was terrified.  I can’t imagine why, he can’t be more than four, it’s not like the police would have been bothering him yet.”

“Doesn’t mean his old man hadn’t told him they would,” Dwight said grimly.  “Simon probably put the fear of god into him about police to keep Duke from ever accidentally mentioning to the wrong people the kind of shady business his old man was getting into.  Not to mention, if the police are hassling a little kid’s dad then they probably look like the bad guys to that kid.”

Nathan’s jaw clenched.  “Simon Crocker should be glad he’s dead.  Might have a few words to say to him if he weren’t.”

“And a few punches to land,” Audrey agreed.  The idea that Simon had imparted Duke with such terror at such a tender age, just to serve his own selfish ends, filled her with sick loathing.

“Pretty sure there’d be a line.  Speaking of him, what’ve you told Duke about where his parents are?”

“Nothing,” Audrey told him.

Dwight blinked.  “Nothing?  At all?  You’ve got a terrified kid on your hands and you didn’t think to some up with some comforting lie?”

“Doesn’t seem like he cares,” Nathan said.  “Hard to be sure, without him talking.  But he’s not looking for them.  Not looking around, not trying to figure out where he is, not wondering what’s happened to them – can see it in his face.”

“That’s really not good,” Dwight said slowly.

“I know, but maybe it’s for the best that he’s resigned,” Audrey said.  “Isn’t that better than if he were throwing nonstop tantrums?”

“I wasn’t talking about the resignation.  For that part you’re probably right, depressing as that is.  But he’s too young to be doing any kind of philosophical reasoning like ‘I’m stuck here so I might as well make the best of it’.  If a child that young is that scared and isn’t crying for his parents, that means that them showing up would be  _ worse _ .  Or that he can’t even conceive of them responding at all when he’s in trouble.”

Nathan blanched.  “What kind of a sick son of a bitch…”

“I’ve see some ugly things growing up in the system, but Simon must have been an absolute monster if he’d be worse than being alone in an unfamiliar place with strangers, in the eyes of his terrified four-year-old son,” Audrey said quietly.

“Sounds like it,” Dwight agreed.  “But we can’t undo the past, so all we can do is set right this Trouble and hope he won’t remember any of this.”

“We’ll fix this, come hell or high water,” Audrey agreed.

“I’ll leave you to it, I don’t want to traumatize him even worse.  But keep me in the loop.”

“Will do,” Nathan agreed.  He closed the door behind Dwight and rubbed a hand over his face.  “Give anything to fix what he’s been through,” he admitted softly.

“Me too,” Audrey agreed.  “But Dwight’s right, we can only bring back our Duke as quickly as we can.”

“And in the meantime, make things the best we can for him,” Nathan sighed.

“This should help,” Audrey lifted the pack.  “He’ll probably be over the moon to be given so many gifts, even if Dwight got them all at the thrift shop.”

“Think he’ll smile?” Nathan said hopefully as they headed in.

“Maybe,” Audrey said, though privately she wasn’t so sure.

“Hey Duke, we have some things for you,” Nathan smiled as they came back into the stateroom. 

Duke looked over with wide, worried eyes.  He hadn’t budged from his little nest of couch and quilt. 

“Don’t worry, it’s good things,” Audrey reassured him.  “Toys and movies and fun things like that.”

Duke looked confused, so Audrey unpacked the items, showing each one to him.  But he didn’t look any less baffled, seemingly beyond grasping that anyone would simply give him such things.  He didn’t reach out to touch or take any of them, even when Audrey held them out to him. 

“It’s okay, buddy, they’re for you,” Nathan promised.  Did Duke think this was kind of trick?  Or was he too young for such logic, knowing only that such things were not for him?  “This way you don’t have to sit on the couch with nothing to do.  And you’ll have some yummy things for lunch, and if you spill something then you have nice new clothes to change into.  Do you want to eat now?”

Duke hesitated but shook his head.  Nathan and Audrey exchanged a worried look, it was getting on toward midday and the only thing Duke had eaten since the previous night’s dinner was a couple bites of the abandoned breakfast. 

“You don’t have to go to the kitchen,” Audrey suggested, thinking that Duke was too afraid to leave the safety and comfort of his blanket even for food.  “You could have your lunch right here.”  Grown-up Duke might be annoyed at the mess, but it was better than leaving his younger self to go hungry.

But Duke shook his head, looking alarmed at the mere prospect. 

“Okay, if you’d rather do something else that’s fine too,” Nathan agreed reluctantly.  Hopefully Duke would feel safe enough to relax and eat something soon.  “Do you want to pick something fun to do?  You have all these nice things to enjoy now.”

But Duke shook his head to that, too.

“How about we pick something for you?” Audrey proposed.  Duke couldn’t just hide in his nest while they worked, and hopefully a game or book would distract him enough to lessen his fear.

Duke gave an uncertain nod at that, so Audrey chose an animated film that she hoped wouldn’t be too cloying, and put it into Duke’s DVD player.  “Nathan and I will be at the kitchen table working while you watch your movie, but if you need anything you can ask us, okay?”

Duke nodded dutifully, but he didn’t look convinced.

**

At first Audrey and Nathan looked over to Duke every few minutes, checking on him, but he never stirred or made a peep, and as they got more involved in their research they very nearly forgot he was even there. 

It was hours later when Audrey caught a glance at the clock above the stove and did a double take.  “It’s four already?”

“Time flies when you’re having to track down Troubles,” Nathan commented, stretching and cracking his back.

Audrey looked over at the couch.  “I think he’s asleep.  But Nathan, he has to eat.  It’s been all day.”

“Hate to wake him, but you’re right.”  Nathan went over to the couch to softly call Duke’s name, but the child’s eyes opened at the sound of approaching footsteps.  “Good, you’re awake,” Nathan said, “It’s time to eat something, okay buddy?  Even if you’re not hungry we’d like you to at least try.”

Duke nodded dutifully and moved to get up, then froze, his eyes widening in panic.

“What’s wrong, Duke?” Audrey asked, coming over.

Duke shook his head and shrank back into the couch.

“We won’t hurt you, Duke, I promise.  Come on now, it’s time to get up and have dinner,” Nathan coaxed.

Duke whimpered, torn between obedience and fear.

“Duke, you haven’t eaten all day.  There’s nothing to be afraid of, I promise.  Now be a good boy and come eat, all right?” Audrey said, her worry and frustration exacerbating one another.

Duke bit his lip, but pulled the blanket aside slowly, and his reluctance became very clear.

“Uh-oh, looks like someone had a little accident,” Nathan said, as cheerfully as he could in the face of the realization that Duke hadn’t been to the bathroom all day.  Why hadn’t they realized?  Was he too afraid of them to go?  Did he feel like he had to ask, and didn't dare interrupt them?

His guilt was interrupted as Duke broke into sobs, throwing his arms over his head defensively.  “I’m sorry!  I tried, I really tried.  I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

“Oh sweetheart, it’s okay!” Audrey soothed, hating herself for feeling frustrated a moment ago.  “We’re not going to hurt you, we’d never hurt you.”

“She’s right, we’d never do that,” Nathan reassured him.  “Accidents happens sometimes, it’s not your fault.  In fact it’s our fault, we should have known you needed to go and made sure you had a chance to.”

Duke gave a little bewildered little hiccupy sob, staring at him in complete confusion. 

“No matter whose fault anything is, we’re not mad, and we’re not going to hurt you.  Ever.”  Audrey gently stroked the rumpled curls.  Duke flinched a little at first but then held still. 

“That’s right.  Now let’s go get you cleaned up and then you can have a nice dinner, all right?”  Nathan coaxed.

Duke sniffled, and nodded. 

“Can I pick you up and carry you to the bathroom?  Would that be okay?”

Duke looked confused that Nathan would ask permission, but nodded.  Nathan carefully gathered him up, blanket and all.  “Audrey, you okay cleaning up in here?”

“Yeah, I’m sure I can find upholstery cleaner somewhere,” Audrey agreed without much enthusiasm.  If she was ever insane enough to think she might want children herself, she’d remember this moment and strengthen her resolve.

“Thanks.  I’ll make it up to you.”

“Don’t worry about it.  You’re doing your share.”

Nathan nodded and carried Duke to the bathroom, setting him down in the tub.  “Now let’s get those icky clothes off, I bet that can’t feel good.”

But Duke curled up, clinging to his clothes protectively. 

“Why not?  What’s wrong, buddy?”

“You’ll know,” Duke mumbled quietly.

“What will I know?”

“You’ll know how bad I am.  Then the cops come and put me in jail where there’s mold and rats and slimy smelly water and no food ever.”

“Duke, buddy, you’re not bad.  Nothing you could say or do or show me would ever, ever make me think that.  And ever if you were bad – which you’re not – police don’t put little boys in jail no matter how bad they are.  If your father told you that, he was wrong.”

Duke’s eyes widened.  The idea of his father being wrong – of another adult  _ saying _ so – was nothing he’d ever imagined.

“I promise that you’re safe, Duke, no matter what.  We’ll get you out of those clothes, you’ll have a nice hot shower, and then you’ll dry off and put on clean clothes and get a yummy dinner.  No police, no jail, just a clean body and a full tummy.  I promise.”

Duke reluctantly nodded and began peeling off his clothes.  The pale, tender skin he revealed was mottled with bruises and abrasions in various stages of healing.

Duke met Nathan’s horrified stare and said quietly.  “See?  I’m bad.  Papa has to, to stop me being bad.”

Nathan barely got the lid of the toilet up before he was retching into it, his empty stomach rebelling.

“Are you sick?” Duke asked worriedly, leaning over the edge of the tub and patting his shoulder gingerly.

“I’ll be okay,” Nathan managed, taking deep breaths and trying to force down the nausea he shouldn't even be able to feel.  That Simon could brutally hurt his own son, this precious fragile vulnerable baby, little Duke,  _ their _ Duke - that he would make Duke think it was his own fault, that he’d  _ made _ his father hit him - Nathan leaned over, heaving again.

Duke climbed out of the tub and stood on his tiptoes to get a glass of water, handing it to Nathan along with a wad of toilet paper.

“Thank you, Duke, that’s really sweet of you,” Nathan said, rinsing his mouth and wiping his face. 

“Being sick is bad.  It hurts and it’s scary,” Duke patted Nathan’s back some more.

“Sure is, buddy.  Sure is,” Nathan gave Duke a wan smile and ruffled his hair.  “You’re a good kid, I don’t care what anyone else says.  Look at your big heart, so caring.”

“Big heart?” Duke looked down at his bare, bruised chest.

“Big heart,” Nathan nodded and helped him back into the tub, pulling down the detachable shower head and turning on the water.  Luckily the temperature dial was still set to what Duke had used last.  “That means you care about other people, you want to see them happy and don’t want to see them sad or hurt.  Tell me if the water's too hot or cold, okay?"

Duke nodded, and thought about the description as Nathan sprayed him down.  “Sad and hurting is bad.  I don’t want people to feel how I feel.  If I can make that go away, I wanna.”

Nathan smiled, a little sadly, and leaned over to kiss Duke’s damp curls.  “And that’s why you’re good and not bad, not ever.  Because you want good things for people.”

Duke considered that gravely as Nathan bathed him.  “You think I’m good?”

“I really do,” Nathan agreed, rinsing away the suds.  “And Audrey does too.”

Duke looked up at him with a tiny, shy smile.  “Then you must be good too, for wanting good things for me.”

Nathan practically felt his heart melt into a puddle on the spot.  “Of course we want good things for you, you deserve to be happy.”

Duke looked wistful as Nathan lifted him out of the tub and dried him off.  “I wish you were my papa,” he said quietly.

Nathan picked up the towel-wrapped child and hugged him close with careful gentleness, his heart aching that he couldn't feel it.   “I wish I was, too,” he said thickly.  “But I’ll do everything I can to make you happy, that’s a promise.”

After a moment, he saw small thin arms wrapping around him to return the hug.

**

“Hey, sweetheart, you enjoy your bath?” Audrey smiled as Duke and Nathan returned, Duke nestled in Nathan’s arms.

“It was nice,” he said.  “The water was hot and the towel was so soft and it feels nice to be clean.”

“That it does,” Audrey’s smile faded as Duke spoke of these things like a rare gift.  “And not being hungry feels nice too, so I’m going to make you some dinner and you get to eat as much as you want, okay?”

“Really?  As much as I want?” Duke looked up at Nathan for confirmation.

Nathan nodded, feeling heartsick all over again.  “As much as you want.  We don’t want you to be hungry anymore.  Wanting good things for you, remember?”

Awed, Duke nodded, watching eagerly as Audrey put some chicken nuggets and hot dogs in the microwave.  Nathan rummaged in the fridge and came up with some leftover stir-fried vegetables and herbed risotto.  He had a sneaking suspicion that kid-friendly foods wouldn’t be strictly necessary.

As Duke ravenously proved him right, Audrey came over to quietly ask, “You all right, Nathan?  You look a little green around the gills.”

“He’s got bruises and scrapes everywhere, Audrey.  And the worst of it is, Simon told him that it’s his own fault, that he  _ made _ the soulless bastard do that to him.”

Audrey’s fists clenched.  “I need to find someone with a resurrection Trouble to bring his moldy carcass back so I can kill him again.  And again, and again, and however often it takes before I feel better about any of this.”

“Think we’d be at it forever,” Nathan said.  “I threw up when Duke said his papa had to hit him to stop him from being bad.  Straight up lost my lunch.”

“I don’t blame you one damn bit.  That’s horrific.”

“It gets worse, if you can believe that.  Simon told him that if anyone saw, they’d know how bad he must be to make his father do that, and they’d call the police and have him thrown in jail where there is, and I quote, ‘mold and rats and slimy smelly water and no food ever’.”

“Oh my god, how can anyone be that cruel?  No wonder he panicked when we took him to the station.”

Nathan nodded.  “Better keep our badges well hidden,” he said quietly.

“I’ll say.  The poor kid, everything he knows is a goddamned nightmare.”

“And for all that, he’s still such a sweet kid.  When I was on my knees retching, he got me a glass of water and patted my back.  I didn’t even ask.  And he didn’t do it because he thought he’d get punished if he didn’t.  He did it just because he knows being sick feels awful and he wanted to make me feel better.”

Audrey smiled.  “And this is the guy who grew up to ask ‘why does everyone always think I want to help?’”

“He’s a great kid.  Everything that happened couldn’t beat that out of him.  I just…I know this is temporary but I want to try to make it better.  Make him see that what Simon told him was all wrong, that he’s such a good kid.  You know, he said he wished I could be his papa instead.”

“Nathan, that’s adorable.  And this might only be temporary, and it might not be what really happened to him when he was that age, but at least in the here and now we can make it better.  We already are.”

“I know.  But it’s not enough.  I was there, Audrey, I was there for his whole damn childhood.  And I had no idea.”

“You were a child yourself, Nathan.  And even if you’d had the experience and perspective you do today, he obviously went to great lengths to hide it.  It’s not your fault you never knew.  Even if you had known, you wouldn’t have been able to change anything.”

“Keep telling myself that.  Doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Audrey ruffled Nathan’s hair.  “Tell you what, it looks like he’s about done, why don’t you two go snuggle on the couch, it’ll make you feel better.  I’ll clean up and join you after.”

“Yeah, all right.”

By the time she got done and headed over to join them, Nathan had Duke cuddled on his lap, quietly reading aloud from a storybook.  Duke was watching Nathan with adoring delight as his temporary guardian made hand motions and did goofy voices to accompany the story.  Audrey beamed and pulled out her phone to get video.  This was too good to miss.

Nathan rolled his eyes at her but didn’t stop.  When he’d finished, he held out another book to her.  “I bet Audrey would like to read to you, too.  In fact, I bet she’d do the voices and everything.”

“I suppose I was asking for that,” Audrey agreed, settling down.  Nathan gently picked up Duke and settled him on Audrey’s lap, where he looked up at her with timid hope.  “Okay, voices and everything,” she agreed, wrapping one arm around him securely.

She wasn’t even halfway through the book when Duke fell asleep, warm and trustingly limp against her.  She finished the book anyway, just in case.  “Think it’s bedtime for baby,” she commented.

Nathan nodded.  “Should keep him with us, though.  If he wakes alone he’s going to be terrified.  He can stay on the couch for now.”

Audrey gently lowered Duke to the couch, missing the cuddly little bundle the moment she did.  As she tucked a fresh blanket around him, she pointed out, “This is fine while we do some more work on the case, but what about when we need to sleep too?  Is one of us going to take him home?  I can’t imagine waking up in a strange place will be great, even if one of us is there.”

Nathan nodded.  “He feels safe and comfortable here, least much as he can anywhere.  Figured you and he could take the bed, I’d sleep on the couch.”

“He likes you better, you should stay with him.  I’ll be fine on the couch.”

“Not gonna make you sleep on the couch, Parker.”

Audrey rolled her eyes.  “And I’m not gonna argue about it all night.  We can both sleep fully dressed in Duke’s bed, god knows it’s big enough for two adults and a tiny kid.”

Nathan turned a charming shade of pink at the suggestion.  If it hadn’t been for Duke’s sake, he’d have insisted on the couch regardless, but he didn’t want to risk Duke waking up upset.  “What about tomorrow?”

“We can stop off at each other’s places to shower and change right quick.  Probably grab a few changes of clothes while we’re at it, who knows how long this’ll last.”

“We’d need to bring Duke with us,” Nathan pointed out.

“Duke was fine in the car until we went to the station.  As long as we don’t try to bring him there again, I think we’ll be okay.  We’re going to need to take him out at some point anyhow, there’s only so much progress we can make sitting around a coffee table.  Pretty soon we’ll need to get out and do some legwork.”

“We can’t take him with us while we work!” Nathan said, appalled.

“I’m not planning on having him chase down suspects with us, just talk to people, ask a few harmless questions, get more info.  And what else would we do with him anyhow?  He’s only just stopped being terrified of us, never mind other people, and we can’t leave him here alone.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I Nathan, but I don’t see any other option.  If you’ve got ideas, I’m all ears.”

Nathan did not.

**

Both Audrey and Nathan were habitually light sleepers, so it was no surprise that both of them woke at Duke’s soft, fearful cries in the night.

Nathan smoothed down Duke’s hair but it only drew a panicky whimper.  “Don’t, papa, no!  It hurts, you’re hurting me, please stop!  I’ll be good, I promise I will, I won’t ever be bad again.”

Audrey’s stomach lurched and she rolled out of bed.  She couldn’t listen to this, she couldn’t.  She muttered an apology to Nathan as she fled into the hallway, pacing violently.  Why couldn’t grown-up Duke do boxing instead of yoga, and keep punching bags around the place?

Behind her the pathetic cries began to die away, replaced by Nathan’s voice murmuring soothing reassurances.  But just as Audrey was drawing a deep breath of relief, fresh sobbing broke out.  She turned to pace another length, but then Nathan’s voice reached out.  “Audrey, can you come back in here please?”

Reluctantly, she returned to the bedroom, where Nathan was cradling a hysterical Duke in his arms.  “See, Duke?  She just got up to go to the bathroom, she didn’t leave,” Nathan fibbed. 

Guiltily, Audrey came and sat on the bed and smoothed Duke’s curls.  “He’s right, see?  I’m right here, I didn’t go anywhere.”

“I m-made you leave,” Duke sobbed.  “I was too much trouble and you want to leave and you’re gonna never come back ever.”

“That’s not true at all,” Audrey took Duke from Nathan, cuddling him close, rocking back and forth.  “I’d never leave you and you’re definitely no trouble.  I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Please don’t leave me, I don’t wanna be all alone,” Duke begged.

Nathan folded his long limbs around both of them.  “Not going anywhere,” he agreed.  “We’d never leave you, Duke.”

“Never ever,” Audrey nodded.  “You’re our sweet baby boy and we love you so much.”

“I’ll be good,” Duke sniffled.  “I promise.  I won’t be too much, I won’t make trouble, I’ll be so good you won’t know I’m here.”

“You already are good, Duke,” Nathan reassured him.  “You’re no trouble and you’re not too much of anything.  You’re perfect just the way you are and we love you.”

“I wish you were my mommy and daddy,” Duke said forlornly.

“I wish we were too, baby,” Audrey kissed his forehead.  “But we’re here now, and we’re not leaving.  You’re safe and you’re loved and we’re going to do everything we can to make you happy, that’s a promise.”

“We won’t let anyone hurt you,” Nathan agreed.  “We’ll take good care of you, you can play and hug and eat as much as you want.  You don’t ever have to hide or be quiet or be afraid, not with us.”

“And you never have to worry about us getting angry at you or leaving,” Audrey nodded.  “You’re not bad, not at all.  In fact, I don’t think you could be bad if you tried.  The things your father told you are wrong and mean and selfish, and the way he treated you is not okay.”

“And it was absolutely not your fault, Duke,” Nathan said firmly.  “You didn’t make him hurt you, your father did that all on his own, because he is a bad and mean man.  None of the bad things that have happened to you are your own fault, you’re too little to do anything bad enough to deserve that.”

Duke snuggled between them, yawning.  “I wish I could stay with you forever an’ ever,” he mumbled, half asleep.

Audrey looked guilty, wishing she could promise him that.  “You look awfully tired, sweetie.  Get some sleep, we’ll be here in the morning.”

“Promise?” Duke asked timidly.

“Promise,” Nathan lay down, drawing the two of them with him so that he and Audrey lay face to face, their arms wrapped around each other with Duke nestled securely in between.  “Sleep tight, buddy,” he smiled and kissed Duke’s curls.

“Sweet dreams,” Audrey murmured, stroking Duke’s petal-soft cheek.

“Night night,” Duke mumbled drowsily.  “Love you.”

**

The next morning Duke was still sleeping when Audrey and Nathan woke, and though he stirred when they did, he was tired enough to drift off again at their soothing. 

“He looks like a little cherub,” Audrey said fondly, running her fingers through the rumpled ringlets that framed Duke’s sleeping face.

“Really does,” Nathan agreed, tickling Duke’s cheek and grinning when Duke smiled in his sleep.

“His parents were idiots not to treasure him.  How could anyone look at that sweet face and not just absolutely melt?” Audrey shook her head.

“It’s a crime,” Nathan frowned.  “Never understand how monsters like that can have the kind of kid some people would give an eyetooth to call their own, and treat them like this.  Hell, treat  _ any _ kid like that.”

“It boggles the mind,” Audrey sighed.  “But at least for now we can spoil him rotten.  Let him sleep in and have a big brunch and some toys to bring while we go around town.”

“He’ll be over the moon,” Nathan predicted.

“Did you see him yesterday while I was unpacking everything?  It was like he couldn’t even comprehend the idea that those things were for him.”

“Seems like any little basic human decency is a miracle to him,” Nathan scowled.

“Don’t scowl like that, if he wakes up you’ll scare him.”

“Fair,” Nathan conceded, smoothing out his expression.  “So who did you want to talk to first?”

“Well, I have some ideas…”

**

Duke was agreeable enough to the idea of walking around and talking to people, thankfully.  But before too long it became apparent that while he was trying his best, he was tired out.

“Little too much walking for you, buddy?” Nathan asked.

Duke shook his head.  “I can walk more.”

“I bet you can,” Audrey told him.  “But I bet it’d be a lot more fun to ride on Nathan’s shoulders, wouldn’t it?”

“That does sound like fun,” Nathan agreed, having realized his error in phrasing the question the way he had.  “What do you say, big guy, want to see how the world looks from up here?”

Duke bit his lip, evidently wanting this very much but afraid to ask.

Audrey smiled and lifted Duke up, barely tall enough herself to get him settled on Nathan’s shoulders.

Duke looked around wide-eyed.  He was so high up!

“Nathan makes a nice perch, doesn’t he?” Audrey grinned, winning a shy nod from Duke.

Nathan took a gentle but firm hold of Duke’s ankles to secure him.  “I won’t let you fall, Duke.  If you feel wobbly, I want you to grab onto my hair, okay?  Even if you think it’ll hurt.  Can you do that for me?” he asked, worried at not being able to feel his precious passenger.

“Okay,” Duke agreed uncertainly. 

As it turned out, it was unnecessary – Nathan moved so carefully that Duke might as well have been sitting on a park bench.  Duke watched the world go by, feeling safe so high above everyone.  The curious looks they had been garnering earlier turned into a combination of amused and puzzled ones, and Duke even dared to lean over and rest against Nathan’s soft, sun-warmed hair.

Audrey grinned, and took more photos.

After a couple more stops she took her fair turn, carrying Duke piggyback for a while.  When that got old she shifted him to ride on her hip, one arm securely around him while she took notes on their interviews. 

Even at lunch he sat in their laps.  Apparently once his love and trust was won, Duke clung like a burr. But truth be told, neither Audrey nor Nathan minded in the slightest.  Even aside from their quiet delight in having the warm little body cuddled up to them, it was a relief to have him close, and safe.  Even Nathan, for all his love of children, had never quite realized just how full of danger the world was for a small fragile child.  And that was without, as Audrey had muttered darkly at one point, what might happen if the Rev or his followers got their hands on a tiny traumatized Crocker.

After lunch, they parked around the corner from the station so that Nathan could run in without Duke realizing where he was headed.  It was hard enough to go at all, with Duke anxious and upset about it even after multiple reassurances that Nathan would only be gone a moment and would come straight back.  In the end, Audrey and Nathan had shown Duke the police radio and how they could talk back and forth so that even when Nathan was on his errand, he’d still be in touch. 

That seemed to reassure Duke somewhat, but Nathan still wavered when he saw Duke’s worried little face watching him leave.  But he really did need to go in, so he steeled himself and walked on, lifting the radio and switching to the private channel they’d decided to use, saying “Here I am, see?  Isn’t it neat to talk like this?”

Over the radio came back a small uncertain, “H’llo?”

“Hi, Duke, it’s me.  I won’t be long, then I’ll come back and give you a big hug.”

“I like when you hug me,” Duke admitted quietly.

Audrey’s voice joined his, her tone playful.  “Nathan gives the best hugs, doesn’t he?”

“Not a patch on yours, Parker,” Nathan grinned as he headed up the stairs and inside. 

“Yeah?  What do you think, sweetie, is this a pretty good hug too?” the shuffling sounded like Audrey drawing Duke into her lap.

“I like your hugs too,” Duke agreed and yawned.

“Sound like someone’s about ready for a post-lunch nap,” Nathan smiled indulgently as he waved Dwight and Gloria into his office.

“Looks like it, too.  I’m gonna put the radio down for a bit and get him settled.”

There was a fumbling noise as Audrey set the radio down, then a thump and an aborted curse, subverted to a PG utterance midway through, then some more fumbling.

Nathan looked amused as he settled down to work with the others.  After a few minutes the radio crackled to life again – but not on the private channel this time.  The dial must have been bumped when Audrey had dropped the radio, and so the whole station paused as hesitant, off-key singing drifted out of their radios.

“The Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the water spout, down came the rain and washed the spider out, and…I don’t remember the rest of the words…” the singing trailed off, to a round of muffled snickers and more radios tuning in.  “Let’s try another one, huh sweetie?  Um…hush little baby don’t say a word, Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.  And if that mockingbird won’t sing, Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.  And if that diamond ring…is fake? Papa’s gonna buy you …a shovel and rake…”

But now the station was in stitches at the impromptu serenade.  Stan was red-faced and pounding his desk, Rebecca was in tears from giggling madly, Laverne had given herself a coughing fit from laughing so hard, Dwight’s shoulders were shaking, and Gloria was cackling.  “For god’s sake, Nathan, stop her before I pee myself!” she demanded.

But Dwight beat him to the punch, picking up his radio and clearing his throat before gravely explaining, “I believe the line is, ‘If that diamond ring turns brass, Papa’s going to buy you a looking glass’, Officer Parker.  I can keep going if you want.”

There was utter, dead silence over the radio – which only made the station laugh all the harder, their merriment coming through Dwight’s radio loud and clear on the other end.

“Nathan Thaddeus Wuornos,” Audrey’s voice came back on after a second, and there was menace in every syllable.  She was back on the private channel, but with half of Haven PD crowding in the doorway of Nathan’s office, it hardly mattered.  “Why.  Didn’t.  You.  Stop.  Me?”

Laverne, who monitored all the channels, broke in.  “Oh hon, he was much too moonstruck.  You should see him, he’s practically got stars in his eyes and daydreams of domesticity floating around his head.”

“You stop right now, Wuornos, I know what you're thinking and no,” Audrey told him.

“Thank you, Laverne, that’s quite enough,” Nathan said hastily.

“And to all the rest of you, if I hear one single comment about what a good mother I'd make – or any comment about this incident at all - I am taking off back to Boston and leaving the Troubles to you.”

Gloria picked up Dwight’s radio.  “You should know this town better than that by now, kid.”

**

“He’s so  _ cute _ ,” Tracy cooed when they picked up dinner at the Gull.   “You’re such a sweet baby boy, aren’t you Duke?  You look a little like my Michael when he was your age.”

Duke looked back at her warily from where he was nestled in Audrey’s arms.  The restaurant was pretty quiet at this hour, since they’d gone early to avoid the dinner rush.  Neither she nor Nathan knew how Duke would handle such a noisy and crowded environment, but they both agreed it was probably better not to find out by subjecting him to that kind of stress.  “It’s okay, Duke, she’s a friend,” Audrey reassured him, rubbing his back.

“Awww, he’s a little shy guy, huh?  That’s okay, some children are like that.  Would a cookie make you feel better, baby?”

Duke considered that solemnly, and nodded.

“Shouldn’t he eat dinner, first?” Nathan protested weakly as Tracy handed it over.  “That whole ‘you’ll spoil your dinner’ thing?”

“C’mon, Nathan, let him have a cookie if he wants,” Audrey said, a touch of irony in her voice as she added, “You’re only young once.”

“Not for me,” Duke mumbled, breaking the cookie in half and holding out the halves to Audrey and Nathan. 

“Aw, thank you, sweetie,” Audrey kissed his forehead.  “That’s really sweet of you.  I bet Tracy would give you another cookie for being so kind and generous with yours.”

“Absolutely,” Tracy agreed.  “Good little boys deserve cookies.  You must really like Audrey and Nathan, huh?  I can’t imagine my kids ever voluntarily giving up sweeties at your age, even to me.”

Duke nodded and hugged Audrey tighter.  “Love them,” he said quietly.

“I’m glad you’re happy,” she smiled as she handed him another cookie.  “I know that what you’re going through must be confusing and scary, but they’ll take good care of you until your mommy comes to bring you home.”

Duke shook his head.  “She won’t come.”

“Oh baby, don’t say that.  I’m sure she loves you and wants you home soon,” Tracy reassured him, missing Audrey and Nathan’s subtle shakes of the head.

“She doesn’t want me anymore.  I’m too much trouble.”

“That’s an awful thing for someone to have told you!” Tracy exclaimed, thinking of the things people had told her children about their father.  “Whoever said that, don’t you listen to them, they’re just a mean person.”

“But  _ she _ said it,” Duke protested.  “She said she never wanted me and I was always causing trouble and making noise and I was just too much, and she was done being my mommy.  Then she left, and never came back.”

Horrified silence greeted this explanation.  Worried, Duke looked up at Audrey.

“It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay.  You didn’t do anything wrong,” Audrey reassured him quickly, cuddling him as she realized the new light this revelation cast on his behavior.  It hadn’t surprised her when Duke’s reticence – his silence, his tendency to hide or simply fade into the background, his reluctance to draw attention to himself no matter how badly he needed something - was slow to fade.  The brutal lessons of his father’s violence were not easily forgotten, she knew.  But now she remembered Duke’s terror when she wasn’t there after his nightmare, his desperate promises to not be ‘too much’, his begging her not to leave. She thought she’d reassured him, but did he still think he’d drive them away?  Or was he hoping that if he became what his mother wanted – which was apparently ‘invisible’ – that she would come back?

“Definitely not,” Nathan agreed, stroking Duke’s hair.  Every time he thought they’d uncovered every ugly aspect of Duke’s childhood, something new and awful reared its head.  The struggle to hide his rage at each new abomination lest he frighten Duke was getting exhausting.  “That was very brave of you to tell us that.  We’re proud of you.”

“Tracy was right, that was a mean and awful thing to say even if she is your mommy,” Audrey told him. 

“And wrong in a whole lot of ways, too,” Nathan agreed.  “You aren’t any trouble, making noise isn’t bad, and you couldn’t be too much if you tried.  It wasn’t your fault, it was hers.  She should have been a better mommy instead of leaving.”

“And it was ridiculous that she didn’t want you, anyone with any sense would adore you, you’re so sweet and good,” Audrey kissed his forehead.  “If she didn’t want you, that’s her fault, not yours.   _ We _ want you, and we love you and we’ll never ever leave you, no matter what.”

Duke leaned against her shoulder, reaching out one hand to wrap tiny fingers around Nathan’s long ones as he stroked Duke’s cheek.  “Love you too,” he said softly.

Tracy reemerged from the kitchen, her expression just barely under control once more.  She held out a bag with the entire batch of cookies.  “One didn’t seem like enough,” she told them, wondering if Duke had remembered the incident as an adult, and whether he would once he returned to normal.

She hoped not.

**

Audrey grinned as Nathan held Duke up to pet Benjy’s new cows, taking a video of him solemnly thanking Mabel and Essie for his ice cream.  Duke had proven to be enamored of all animals that crossed his path, sunbathing cats and dogs out for walks, and while he never asked to go visit with them, Audrey and Nathan had indulged his wide-eyed wistful looks as readily as the indulgent dog-walkers and cat owners.  Duke’s joy had inspired Nathan to suggest a trip to Big Benjy’s, and Duke’s fascination with the idea that ice cream came from cows had prompted a chuckling Benjy to give them a tour of the kitchen so he could see the entire process before meeting ‘the girls’.

“Mister Benjy’s nice,” Duke pronounced, scratching behind a huge ear and receiving a look of bovine contentment in return.

“Nicer than Mister Dave and Mister Vincent?” Audrey grinned.  It had amused her and Nathan to no end when, in spite of the Teagues’ best pretense of grandfatherly harmlessness, Duke had spent their entire visit to the Herald hiding behind Nathan’ legs.

“Lots and lots nicer,” Duke gravely pronounced.  “They smiled but they didn’t mean it.”

“You’re a sharp one,” Audrey said approvingly.  “A lot of people don’t know the difference.”

“Good judge of character too,” Nathan smiled.

“Is he, now?” the voice came from behind them and made them turn at once, hands reaching for their weapons as they faced Reverend Driscoll.

“Now, now, I’m just here for a friendly chat.  Heard the news and couldn’t help wanting to say hello to this little fellow.  You’re destined for great things, my fine young man,” he reached out to tickle Duke’s cheek and Duke shrank away, hiding his face in Nathan’s chest with a fearful whimper.

Nathan stepped back, taking Duke out of reach, and his glare could have turned a man to stone.

“Nathan, take Duke home.  If the Rev wants a chat, he’ll get it.”  Audrey’s tone promised nothing good for the upcoming conversation.

Nathan nodded.  “Call if there’s trouble,” he said shortly, his long legs already carrying Duke to the safety of the car.

“Well now that wasn’t very neighborly, was it?  That boy’s got a second chance now, a chance to be raised right in the eyes of God.  You plan to condemn his soul to the flames of hell by denying him that?”

“A chance for you to groom him from earliest childhood as a cold-blooded killer, you mean,” Audrey snapped.  “I wouldn’t let him within a million miles of your sick, twisted idea of salvation.  And if you or any of your people come within a hundred yards of Duke while he’s a child, the flames of hell will sound pretty damn good compared to what I’ll do to you.”

The Reverend smiled coldly.  “Still haven’t learned to play the long game, I see.”

“There is no long game.  We’re going to find whoever’s Trouble this is and have them change everyone back.”

“If your people find him before mine do.  How’s your search going?  Not much luck, I understand.”

“Was that a threat against the person causing this?  Because I would love nothing more than to toss you in one of the holding cells until this is all over.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, my dear.  I’m a man of God, after all.  We just want to talk.  I’m confident we could find a way to convince them to leave things the way they are.”

“Yeah, I’m sure torture is very convincing.  I don’t want to see your face again until this Trouble’s over.  Believe me when I say that you do  _ not _ want to test me on this.”

“I have no need to.  I’ll see you around.  Soon.”

Audrey glared after him furiously until she was sure he was gone, then radioed the station for a patrol car to drop her back at the Rouge.

She nearly fell when she walked in, as Duke hurtled into her shins crying fearfully.

“Hey, baby, it’s okay,” she murmured as she picked him up and held him close.  “I’m sorry I didn’t stay with you, I’m back now.”

“I thought the bad man hurt you!” Duke sobbed.

“No, sweetie, no, I’m fine, see?  He didn’t hurt me and I made sure he’s not going to hurt you.  He won’t even come near you, and if he tries he’s going to be in Big Trouble.”

“Really?” Duke sniffled.

“Really, really.  I promise,” Audrey kissed his hair.  “We’re all safe here at home, no one’s going to hurt you or me or anyone.”

“O…okay,” Duke mumbled.

“Why don’t we all sit on the couch for a bit and Nathan and I will read to you.  Does that sound good?”

Duke nodded.  He nestled between the two of them as they settled down to read but was soon dozing off, worn out from his distress.

“Hope you put the fear of God into that son of a bitch,” Nathan muttered, putting the book aside.

“Did my best.  He won’t hurt Duke, Nathan.  We won’t let him.  We’ll keep him safe.”

Nathan smoothed the messy curls back from Duke’s forehead.  “No matter what,” he agreed quietly.

**

“We need a break,” Audrey sighed.  “And so does Duke.”

Duke looked up from the coloring book he’d been intently working on.  They’d had to explain the concept to him, which had been heartbreaking, but once he’d gotten the idea he’d been entirely content to busily fill page after page.  It had been surprisingly difficult – both as a challenge and emotionally - to find things Duke enjoyed.  Movies and TV shows were soon ignored in favor of keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, and any toy or game that required him to make too many choices left him frozen with indecision.  Coloring books had proven to be a good compromise – a clear set of instructions to provide structure to some limited decision-making, and they didn’t distract him too much from his perpetual wariness.

“I’m okay,” he dutifully announced.

Audrey smiled and rumpled his curls.  “It’s all right, Duke.  Nathan and I want to get up and stretch our legs a bit, get a change of scenery.  We’ve all been sitting here all day.”

“Could visit the playground at Shoreview Park,” Nathan suggested. 

“That sounds fun.  I bet you’ve never been to a playground before, huh Duke?” Audrey smiled.

Duke shook his head.

“You’ll love this, then,” Nathan ruffled Duke’s hair affectionately.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Duke said willingly, hopping down from his chair and going to the doorway to pull on his shoes. 

“He’s made so much progress already,” Audrey murmured.  “Look, he’s actually eager to go, he’s not just getting ready because we told him to.”

“He trusts that wherever we take him, he’ll be okay,” Nathan agreed.  “Make you think what he’d be like if he hadn’t grown up in that hellhole.”

“He wouldn’t be our Duke, though I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.  What we live through makes us who we are,” Audrey said quietly, remembering her own childhood.

Nathan nodded, resting a comforting hand on her back.  “You miss him?”

“Every day,” Audrey admitted.  “But at the same time, I want to keep this sweet little guy and just cuddle him and spoil him forever until he’s completely forgotten that he ever had a life that wasn’t loving and healthy and happy.  It’ll break my heart to see him go.”

“Wish he were both,” Nathan agreed.  “Working this case feels like trying to get rid of him.”  He watched Duke busily buttoning his new jacket and asked quietly, “What if we’re sending him back there?”

“Nathan, no, that’s now how this works, it’s not a time travel Trouble.” Audrey said quickly – but Nathan could see the doubt and guilt in her eyes.  “It can’t change the past, being here with us didn’t really happen to him at that age.  He’ll just…grow up.  Into our Duke.”

Nathan squeezed his shoulder.  “Be glad to have him back,” he admitted.  “Doesn’t feel right without him.”

Audrey smiled and stretched up to kiss his cheek.  “I’m glad you feel that way.  Come on, the park is calling.”

**

The late afternoon sun fell golden over the trees and grass of Shoreview park, sloping gently downward to meet the beach.  The playground design had thoughtfully included a miniature structure as well as the bigger main one, so that the younger children could play safely apart from the rambunctious energy of the older ones.

Duke considered the playground from his safe spot cradled against Nathan’s chest.  “Doesn’t that look like fun?” Audrey smiled.  “You can sit and swing, or go on the slide, or climb on the playhouse just like the other kids.”

“We’re not leaving,” Nathan reassured him.  “We’ll stay right here in the park, if you want us just call and we’ll come over.”

“It’s really okay?  I can do what they’re doing?” Duke asked.

“It’s really okay,” Audrey promised.  “Go ahead and have fun.  We’ll be here if you need us.”

After a moment’s thought Duke nodded, and Nathan set him down gently.  Duke headed off to the equipment slowly, looking back every few steps for Audrey and Nathan’s reassuring smiles.  He explored the structure with solemnity, familiarizing himself with every inch.  He scooted carefully down the slide and tested his weight on the swings.  After a little useless wiggling, he worked out how to swing, and drifted gently back and forth for a bit with a shy smile.

Both Audrey and Nathan watched alertly as a slightly older girl approached Duke.  Her demeanor was friendly but they wanted to be ready to leap into action if Duke got frightened or upset.  He did look over at them questioningly, but accepted their encouraging nods as permission to speak to the stranger.  Their conversation was too far away to overhear, but she gestured towards the other children she’d been playing with.  Duke nodded and hopped off the swing, looking back once more before heading off to be drawn into their game of freeze tag.

“God, I don’t know how parents do it,” Audrey groaned, waving cheerfully as she inwardly worried herself sick.

“Surprised more of them aren’t ‘helicopter parents’,” Nathan agreed, never taking his eyes off of Duke.

“I just keep seeing everything that could go wrong.  What if he trips and falls and hurts himself?  What if the other kids decide to tease him?”

“I know.  Me too,” Nathan admitted.  “But we’re right here.  The second something goes wrong, we can step in and help him.”

Audrey nodded.  After a moment she added, “It is nice to see him run and play like other kids, though.”

Nathan nodded.  “Like any little boy that’s going to go home to a loving family and a good dinner and a safe, comfortable bed.”

“Which he is.  We might not be able to change the way he grew up, but we can give him this.”

“For however long he has,” Nathan agreed, taking a seat on a park bench like the other parents, babysitters, and people simply enjoying the summer afternoon.

As afternoon faded into early evening, the children started drifting home, called by parents or coaxed by siblings or just hungry for dinner.  The dog walkers and joggers and other fresh air enthusiasts dwindled, leaving a young mother pushing a stroller, an old man on a bench, and a painter whose canvas looked out over the sloping park. The children’s games broke up, Duke’s remaining playmates heading for one last slide or turn on the swings. 

Duke waved goodbye and started heading back towards Audrey and Nathan.  As he glanced around the park, though, he noticed the old man and hesitated, looking over at Audrey and Nathan inquiringly.

There was nothing particularly unusual about the old man.  He was small and wrinkled, his hair thin and snowy-white against his dark skin, and he was wearing a slightly rumpled sweater and worn slacks that were belted too high.  But he looked sad, hunched in the corner of his bench.  He wistfully watched the children play, not in a predatory way but with a mournful air that made Audrey wonder if he had lost children or grandchildren to Haven’s Troubles.

“There he goes with his big heart,” Nathan said affectionately, giving Duke an approving nod.  “Sees a lonely old man on a park bench and wants to cheer him up.”

“Duke’s such a little sweetheart,” Audrey agreed.  It was nearly impossible to think of the little old man as any kind of threat, even though she told herself that looks could be deceiving – especially in Haven.  “Can’t bear to see anyone sad.”

The old man saw Duke watching him and gave him a soft smile and a little wave.  Duke looked over at Audrey and Nathan one more time before heading over to him.  The man looked up and around, spotting the two of them watching, and nodded acknowledgement.

Duke climbed onto the bench to talk to the old man, who bent toward him to listen.  It was a charming scene, and Audrey and Nathan relaxed back against their bench as they watched old and young converse.

But it wasn’t long until the sun had slipped over the edge of the hills, leaving the light to fade and the temperature to drop.  Reluctant as they were to interrupt, Audrey and Nathan headed over to retrieve Duke.

“Making another new friend, Duke?” Nathan asked indulgently as they approached the bench.

“This is Gran’pa Baxter,” Duke explained.  “He’s nice.”

“Ernie Baxter,” the man smiled, offering a hand to shake.  “Forgive me if I don’t stand to greet you, my old back prefers to take it easy these days.”

“It’s fine,” Audrey shook his hand.  “Audrey Parker, this is Nathan Wuornos.”

Whatever conclusions Baxter might have drawn about their relationship to one another or to Duke, they didn’t seem to bother him.  “Good to meet you both.  Always nice to see young folks out here with their little ones.  Especially such well-behaved little ones as this fine gentleman here,” he smiled fondly at Duke, who looked delighted with the praise.

“Duke is a sweetheart and a wonderful little boy.  We couldn’t be more proud of him if we tried,” Audrey smiled. 

“He’s a treasure,” Nathan agreed.  “Thanks for keeping him company.  Always nice to see him making friends, young or old.”

“Treasure is right,” Baxter nodded.  “Every day with your little ones is precious.  Never had any myself.  Always regretted that.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Audrey said sympathetically.

“Oh, don’t you go worrying about ol’ Grandpa Baxter,” he smiled.  “Just an old man getting maudlin at sunset.  Tomorrow’s another day.  And since this day’s about over, I’m thinking it’s time a certain little boy’s headed home for his supper.”

“I’m afraid so,” Audrey said regretfully, hating to disappoint Duke. “Do you have a way to get home yourself?”

“Not to worry, I live just around the corner and it does these old bones good to keep moving.  Thank you for asking, though.”

“Say goodbye to Grandpa Baxter, Duke,” Nathan said gently.

Duke turned and gave the little old man a hug.  “Love you, Gran’pa.  Bye bye.”

As Baxter bid Duke goodbye, Nathan picked Duke up so he wouldn’t see the tears in the old man’s eyes.

**

The next morning, Audrey and Nathan woke to a very much full-grown Duke in bed between them.

He was asleep, but that didn’t last as Audrey abruptly sat upright in surprise.  He instinctively jerked back, only to find himself pressed up against Nathan’s chest.  He turned over and looked between them, confused and disoriented, and for a moment the echo of the lost little boy he’d been was so strong that Audrey gathered him in her arms and hugged him, smoothing his hair as she murmured, “It’s okay, Duke, you’re okay.”

“Gonna be all right,” Nathan agreed, patting Duke’s back awkwardly. “You’re safe.  Just take some deep breaths and get your bearings.”

Duke followed the advice, gradually relaxing between the two of them.  His conscious mind was insisting that it was very, very strange to be sharing a bed with the two of them - and getting hugs, no less - but the lingering part of his younger self knew that this felt right, was still filled with contentment and trust and love at their embrace.

“Do you remember anything since the Trouble hit you?” Audrey asked gently.

“It…it’s a mess,” Duke said hesitantly.  “There’s moments that are crystal clear, but most of it, it’s like trying to remember something that happened when I really was a kid.  And it just…keeps shifting every time I try to grab hold of the memories, slipping in and out of focus.”

“We can help with some of that.  Audrey took tons of photos and videos.”

Duke looked between the two of them.  “You guys took care of me,” he said quietly.

“Of course we did,” Audrey told him, her heart breaking a little at how confused he looked about it.

“You’d do it for us,” Nathan pointed out.

“Might try.  Be pretty shitty at it, though.”

“Like we had any idea what we were doing,” Audrey snorted.  “Dwight had to come by with a ‘kid care emergency kit’ to save our asses.”

“I remember that, a little.  I remember you pulling out all these things and I just…”

“You were so surprised,” Audrey said softly.

Duke looked down at the quilt covering the three of them.  “You guys saw some pretty dark shit, huh?”

“Don’t think less of you for it,” Nathan told him.

“Never,” Audrey agreed.  “We both wish we could go back and make it right.  Spirit you away when you really were that age and give you the childhood you deserved.”

“Wouldn’t be me, if you had,” Duke echoed her earlier sentiment with a crooked little smile.  “But you know, I might not remember much but there’s one thing in every memory, fuzzy or clear.  I remember being happy.”

Audrey hugged him so hard he could barely breathe, and Nathan’s grip on his shoulder was almost painfully tight.  “Gonna call the station,” Nathan announced.  “Tell ‘em we won’t be in.”

“Good call,” Audrey agreed.  “I say we spend the day lounging in bed watching those videos and looking at the photos.”

“And remembering baby Duke,” Nathan ruffled Duke’s hair.

Duke closed his eyes as the gesture brought memory back, painfully sharp.  Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be loved for a little longer.  “Yeah.  Yeah, that sounds good.”

**

A week later, Duke knocked on the door of a small and slightly rundown house, a bag of home-cooked food in one hand and a scraggly, childish bouquet of wildflowers picked from a seaside park in the other.  When the door swung open he smiled and said, “Hi, Grandpa.”


End file.
